Jungle and Stream: or, The Adventures of Two Boys in Siam. Fenn George Manville
said the man.
"Indeed? I will come. Come too, Cameron; I daresay it will interest you."
The messenger had come to ask Mr. Kenyon if he would take charge of a little expedition to be made against a tiger that had been destroying life in the neighbourhood, and to say that as matters were so serious the King would be greatly obliged if he would go.
"I don't like to say No, and I don't want to say Yes," said Mr.
Kenyon.
"I do not see how you can refuse."
"Neither do I," said Mr. Kenyon thoughtfully, and he sent a note back, promising to undertake the task.
Hardly had the messenger departed before Harry came hurriedly into the room, but started on seeing the doctor there.
"I thought you had gone, sir," he said. "I made sure I heard the door swing to."
"No, I have not gone, Hal," said the doctor, smiling good-humouredly; "but I'll soon be off, if you want to speak to your father alone."
"I did, sir; but it doesn't matter your being here."
"What is it, Hal?" said Mr. Kenyon gravely.
"Wanted to tell you I feel horribly ashamed of myself, father," said
Harry quickly.
"Indeed?"
"Yes, it seems so queer that such a chap as Phra should behave like a gentleman over a bit of disappointment, while I – I – well, I behaved like a disagreeable boy."
"But very naturally, Hal," said the doctor. "Better than acting like a make-believe man."
"Thank you, Hal," said Mr. Kenyon quietly, holding out his hand. "Has
Phra gone?"
"No, father."
"Tell him that his father has sent requesting me to take charge of an expedition against the tiger, and that I am sorry I cannot ask you two lads to go with me."
"All right, father; he won't mind. I don't now."
Harry nodded at the doctor, and went out of the room, while his father waited till his steps had ceased, and a door had swung to.
"Odd boy, isn't he, Cameron?" said Mr. Kenyon then.
"Very odd chap," replied the doctor. "But I like boys to be odd like that."
CHAPTER VIII
A PROWL BY WATER
It was disappointing and hard for two boys to bear, situated as they had been – singled out by the old hunter as the first receivers of the news; but they had determined to be heroic over it, and after a fashion they were.
"Don't let's seem to mind it the least bit in the world, Phra," Harry said.
"What shall we do? go up the river?"
"Go up the river? No. Let's see them start, and help them with their guns when they mount the elephants. They'll be watching to see how we look, and we're going to puzzle them."
"But will not that look queer?"
"I dunno," said Harry, "and I don't care; but that's what I've made up my mind to do. What do you mean to do?"
"The same as you do," said Phra firmly.
The result was that at the time appointed Harry walked up to the court by the palace main entrance, shouldering one of the rifles, and there his heart failed him for a moment or two, but he was himself again directly.
For the sight of the two huge elephants with their howdahs, and their mahouts with their legs hidden beneath the huge beasts' ears, each holding his anchus – the short, heavy, spear-like goad with hook which takes the place of whip, spur, and reins, in the driving of the huge beasts – was almost too much for him.
There was a party, too, of pretty well fifty spearmen to act as beaters, some of whom were furnished with small gongs. Altogether it formed a goodly show, and it sent the sting of disappointment pretty deeply into the boys' breasts, so that they had to bear up bravely to keep a good face on the matter.
The King was there to see the start made, after Mr. Kenyon, with Sree for his attendant, had mounted one of the elephants by means of a bamboo ladder, the doctor and a trusted old hunter in the King's service perching themselves upon the other.
Then the King wished them both good fortune, the word was given, and half the spearmen marched off in front; the elephants at a word from their mahouts shuffled after, side by side, and the remainder of the spearmen followed, passing out of the gateway.
The King said a few words to the boys, and then retired, leaving them alone in the yard with the armed men on guard.
"Shall we follow them part of the way?" said Phra then.
"No, that wouldn't do," replied Harry. "It was right to come and show that we weren't going to mind; but if we followed now, I know what my father would think."
"What?" said Phra abruptly.
"That we were following in the hope of being asked to get on the elephants. It would be too mean."
"Yes," said Phra, "of course. I did not think of that. Well, what shall we do?"
"I dunno. Lie down and go to sleep till they come back; that's the best way to forget it all."
"Bah! I'm not going to do that. I know: get over the river in a boat, and go and see the big Wat."
"What for? Who wants to see the old place again, with its bonzes, with their yellow robes and shaven heads?"
"We could go up the great tower again."
"Nice job to climb all the way up those steps in a hot time like this!
What's the good?"
Phra looked at him and smiled.
"You could take the telescope up, and see for miles."
"But I don't want to carry that lumpy thing up those hundreds of steps."
"I'd carry it."
"But I don't want you to carry it, and I don't want to see for miles. I can see quite as much as I want to-day without the telescope. I don't feel as if I want to see at all. It was quite right, I suppose, for us to be left at home, and proper for us to come and make a show of not minding; but now the excitement's all over, and they're gone, I feel just as if I could howl."
"What! cry?" said Phra wonderingly.
"No – ooo! Howl – shout with rage. I want to quarrel with some one and hit him."
"Well, quarrel with and hit me."
"Shan't. I should hurt you."
"Well, hurt away. I won't hit back."
"Then I shan't be such a coward. Here, I know: I'll go and take that chap's spear away, and break it."
He nodded his head towards one of the guards on duty close to the entrance of the palace.
"What for?"
"Because I'm in a rage," said Harry between his teeth. "Oh, I could do that, and then run at another and knock him down, and then yell and shout, and throw stones at those great vases, and break the china squares over the doorway. I feel just like those Malay fellows must when they get in one of their mad tempers and run amok."
"Why don't you, then?" said Phra mockingly.
"Because I can't," cried Harry bitterly.
"Can't? Why, it would be easy enough. You could go and break the spears of all the guards, and take their krises away. They wouldn't dare to hurt you, seeing what a favourite you are with my father."
"I know all that," said Harry, snapping his teeth together.
"Then why can't you do it?" said Phra mockingly. "Go on; run amok."
"Shan't – can't."
"Why can't you?"
"Because I'm English, and I've got to fight it all down, and I'm going to, savage as it makes me feel. Here, what shall we do?"
"Go